Maybe Someday
by Tayhlia
Summary: Bethany teases her sister about her attraction to a certain angsty elf. Hawke(F)xFenris-BethanyxSebastian


**AN**: I don't own anything, I wish I did but I don't. This story is offically based before the Deep Roads (I also prolonged the time for raising money into about two-three months to raise enough rather than the imaginary timeline of the game.) I know you don't have Sebastian as a character before the DR but I don't care.

* * *

Hands touch, eyes meet

Sudden silence, sudden heat

Hearts leap in a giddy whirl

He could be that boy

Don't dream too far

Don't lose sight of who you are

Don't remember that rush of joy

-I'm not that Girl, Wicked

* * *

Erin let out a cry as the giant spider tackled her to the ground. Her greatsword pushed at the twitching jaw, trying to keep the pinchers away from her. Out of nowhere it seemed came a blue blur. She barely had time to react before Fenris had thrown the beast off of her and literally cut it in half.

Eyes wide she raised up on her elbows, stunned at the show of strength. He had been across the damned room when she had fallen. Turning sharply, his tattoos dimmed as all sign of danger passed. Fenris stilled, his emotions carefully tucked away behind his stony mask when he saw Erin watching him.

Realizing she was staring, she gave him a smile and shifted. A hand appeared causing her to blink, startled. For a moment she wondered if she somehow had entered the Fade and this was all a very odd dream; Fenris, of all the things she had learned about this elf, hated being touched and yet here he was offering to help her up. Accepting the offered hand, she grasped his forearm and was amazed at how easily he was able to haul her to her feet.

"Thanks," she said softly, her hand unintentionally lingering. Her sharp blue eyes flickered to the dead spider and then back to him. "And thanks,"

He seemed taken aback, so much so that he didn't even seem to notice that he had not let go of her either. "It was nothing."

Erin grinned. "I could take offense to that," She had to admit she loved watching the way his brow furrowed as Fenris attempted to work through what she meant. "It was my life you just saved," His eyes widened when it occurred to him that he had just dismissed the rescue as inconsequential. "I've never seen anyone move so fast before," Erin would swear that she saw the tips of his ears go pink.

"Are you both all right?" a voice caused Fenris to jerk, abruptly realizing he was still holding onto her. The elf took a step back, hand fallen at his side. Erin found herself wishing that Sebastian had left them alone a little longer. "That was amazing, Fenris." The Chantry Brother addressed. "You must have been twenty feet away when Hawke was knocked down,"

The elf shifted nervously, looking down and then away. "We should move on,"

Sebastian hesitated, looking put out before nodding. "Of course, that is wise."

"Lead the way," Erin offered. Disbelief at why was written on Fenris' face; clearly wondering why she was asking someone else to lead. "That way if there are any more giant spiders they'll attack you first," She gave the men a sassy grin. Sebastian laughed. "Oh, don't worry, Sebastian. I'm sure they'll go after you first. After all they like shiny things and that armor is just so shiny they won't be able to resist,"

The Brother looked decidedly less amused but walked beside Fenris as the elf took point. Smiling to herself, Erin fell in step behind them. Her hand flexed slightly, as though she could still feel Fenris' touch. The faintest hint of a blush colored her cheeks. While she had known the elf the better part of two months even she would admit her attraction to him was nearly instantaneous. But, like everything else with him, it was complicated.

Bethany walked alongside her sister. "He touched you," the teasing smugness was clear in the mage's voice. Erin glanced at her before staring straight ahead, which unfortunately in the direction of a particular warrior. "I've never seen him touch anyone, sister."

"He was helping me up," Erin whispered, praying that Fenris could not hear them.

"Oh sure," Bethany linked her arm through Erin's, smiling. "That's why you two didn't let go until Sebastian interrupted,"

Sighing, Erin tried to stop from grinning. "I'm going to kill him for that by the way, hope you don't like him too much," She was more than pleased when Bethany turned red. "Don't read too much into it, Beth. He was just doing the job we pay him for,"

The raven-haired mage shook her head. "That's why he practically teleported across the room to save you from that giant spider,"

"Like any hireling he wanted to make sure the person who pays him survived," Erin excused though secretly (or maybe not so secretly) she wished he did it for a completely different reason.

"He cleaved the spider in half,"

"He's very thorough,"

Bethany's sharp eyes narrowed at her sister. "The last time someone touched him, he was seconds away from ripping their heart out,"

Erin opened her mouth to try to come up with an excuse but then closed it. Fenris had almost attacked Isabela when the pirate had teasingly placed a hand on his arm. He was mortified and fled, apologizing and stating he didn't like to be touched. It had taken Erin the better part of the day to find him and convince him that no one was angry with his action and they all would respect his personal space.

Triumph shone on Bethany's face. "You like him,"

Erin gripped her sister's arm tighter, not enough to hurt but enough to startle the mage. Her blue eyes shot to the men, horrified at the possibility they heard. "Keep it down," she hissed.

Undeterred Bethany let out a laugh. Sebastian idly glanced back, a smile on his lips but then looked forward again. "Just admit it, sister."

"Bethany, for the love of the Maker, please be quiet," Erin begged.

"Only if you admit it,"

Closing her eyes, she shook her head. "Fine, I admit it."

Bethany grinned. "You like the broody elf,"

Erin arched her eyebrow. "And you have a crush on the exiled Prince," Her sister looked down, embarrassed. "Seems we both have an attraction to impossible options, must run in our family,"

For a moment Bethany was silent, steadily walking in pace with Erin. "Do you really think it's impossible?"

Making a face, Erin looked at her sister. "He's a Chantry Brother, Beth. Not a very good one, I'll give you that," she conceded. "But he's hardly going to be swept away with such worldly emotions like love." She didn't believe in sugar coating the truth, not even for her sister; better Bethany realizes now who she set her sights on rather than later. "From what I've learned he was very wild before, Beth. He's experienced it all and turned his back on it."

Bethany shook her head. "Not," her eyes flickered to Sebastian and then back. "Not mine." She whispered. "Yours," Unintentionally Erin stopped, her heart giving a strange lurching. Brushing the emotion away like she always did, Erin started walking again. "You really believe it's impossible?"

"I am the daughter of a mage, Beth; magic is quite literally in my blood. I rescue mages from oppression, let a possessed one live, allow a blood mage not only in my company but to exist." Erin listed off. Sensing her sister on the verge of objecting, the warrior continued. "I'm a Ferelden refuge who can drink a dwarf under the table and be proud of it. I will never win any beauty contests. I don't hide behind white lies to make the truth easier." Giving her head a firm shake, Erin finished. "No one wants that in a relationship,"

"That's not true," insisted Bethany.

"Name one thing that I said that wasn't true," Erin challenged. Bethany hesitated, obviously trying to think of something but failing. "The only reason Fenris stays is because I hate slavers as much as he does and swore to help him kill that blight-damned magister when the time came and because I pay him."

Erin dropped her eyes to the ground, studying the cracked stone as she walked. "I'm not you Beth. I don't have a sweet disposition and a smile that can outshine the sun. I know who I am," She met her sister's eye. "And whether I like it or not, the truth is that at the end of the day, the only thing people want me for is my blade,"

"That's not true,"

Erin sighed. "Beth, just because you don't want to admit that it's true doesn't make it any less the case."

"You go over and visit him nearly every day, what do you do?" Bethany looked as though she thought she had grabbed onto something that would make her right.

"Spar, mostly," Erin hated the way her sister's shoulders dropped in disappointment as though Bethany had been imaging lurid things the two warriors got up to. "Sometimes we talk over wine." Hope sparked in Bethany's eyes again only to be dashed. "Compare fighting styles, technics that we've picked up, he's been trying to teach me this move he does where he whips his blade in an arch and kills the enemies around him," Seeing the despondent look on her sister's face, Erin sighed, trying to sound upbeat. "A few times we even had a game of Wicked Grace," She shrugged. "Look, Beth, I'm not the type of girl any man would want. I know that,"

"Even Fenris?" Biting her lip, Erin desperately tried to kill the ache in her chest. Emotions never did anyone any good; no matter how much you feel it won't make others feel the same. Bethany sighed. "There could be others, Erin. Do you really believe that no one would ever like you like that?"

A bitter smile was on the warrior's lips. "No one ever has,"

"That doesn't mean no one ever will," Unwillingly, Erin glanced at the elf, hating how her heart sped up at the sight of him, the tingling sensation that went through her. "He could, Erin." Bethany whispered. "Why do you think it's so doomed? Sure he's a little," She grinned. "Prickly," Erin glared. "But why don't you just talk to him? He's flirted with you before. Encourage it, see if he woos you,"

"Woos me?" Erin repeated in disbelief. "I don't want to be wooed, Bethany."

"You usually brazen head first into everything, Erin." Bethany retorted. "I don't understand why you don't try to talk with him, at least that way you would know for sure. Why are you sitting around doing nothing?"

"I'm walking,"

"You know what I mean,"

Erin frowned. "You've been spending far too much time with Isabela,"

Bethany narrowed her eyes. "Don't change the subject,"

"I can't," Erin insisted. "It's not that simple. If it was you'd have talked to Sebastian by now,"

"Why?" The warrior raised her eyebrow earning a glare from Bethany. "I mean why can't you talk with him? You see him all the time. Save sparring one day and talk about something else. I've never seen you look at someone the way you look at him, isn't it worth trying?"

"Not if it makes him run away," Bethany blinked. Erin shifted, looking at Fenris' back, a multitude of thoughts in her head. "He's had a horrible life, Bethany. He's never had anyone do things for him without wanting something in return, how do you think he'd react knowing what I feel? He'd automatically assume that I'm requesting reciprocation as some sort of sick repayment for what we've done, like everyone else in his life. He'd think I'm simply using him for what I want and then going to toss him aside. I can't do that,"

"Even if it means you'll never have anything more than his friendship?"

"I value his friendship, Beth." Erin hung her head. "I don't want to lose that just because I'm getting all squishy inside. I'll deal with it,"

"You mean you'll ignore it like you always do," Bethany said quietly.

Erin shook her head. "Just let it lie, Bethany, please." She implored. "If he wants anything more he'll take the lead, I'm not going to do that to him,"

"You don't really think he'll ever make a move, do you?" Bethany asked. "You're counting on the fact you'll never have to confront this. What if your feelings grow deeper, become more than simple fancy?"

"Then they do," Erin conceded. "It's not as though none of this occurred to me. He's my friend, Bethany, and he's not the type to allow many close. I respect him too much as a man and a warrior to let my emotions jeopardize that relationship between us."

"But—"

Erin grabbed her sister by the forearm and gave the mage a gentle but firm squeeze. "Enough." she half growled, trying desperately to bury the emotion her sister was stirring. "Why do you question this? What point do you have in running this conversation in circles?"

Bethany looked at Erin. "I know how much you've sacrificed to keep me safe, sister. Is it wrong to wish for you to have someone?"

"I have you and I have mother. What more could I want?" Erin tried to be glib. Bethany gave a pointed look at the elf's backside. Glancing away, Erin tried to sort through her thoughts in a way her sister might actually understand. "You know as well as I that wanting and wishing for something rarely makes it happen; else you'd have been magicless like Carver and me," She hated seeing Bethany flinch. "I've accepted my fate, Beth. What more do you want me to say?"

"I want you to agree that you're worth fighting for the way you fight for me," Bethany snapped a little loudly.

Erin dug her nails into her sister's arm. "Bethany, if you don't keep your voice down I'm going to quote your journal of what your dream man would be like." She threatened, knowing the striking similarity of Bethany's imaginary prince and the true prince in front of them were eerily similar. "I don't want someone to fight _for_ me. I want someone to fight beside me. When you find someone who doesn't care that I'm a loud-mouth woman who speaks her mind, loves to fight, and will never be the stay at home type then I promise you I won't let them go."

"The way Fenris does?" Erin felt her heart twist in her chest. Bethany clasped her hand into Erin's and smiled. "You two work well together. Are you really so afraid of his reaction that you won't take a chance?"

"Dreaming gets you nowhere, Beth."

"It got mom and dad together,"

Despite herself, Erin flinched. Their parents' romance was a story Bethany had loved hearing when she was young; always eager to listen to how the mage fell in love with a noble's daughter and how their love, though forbidden, burned strong enough to make them sacrifice everything to be together.

"This isn't some epic love story, Beth. This is me," Erin finally said. "Girls like me don't get the guy at the end. I'm an adventure story, not a love story,"

"You really believe that don't you?" Bethany whispered.

Giving a light shrug, Erin nodded. "Whatever I _feel_," she said the word with distaste. "Doesn't matter," Erin shook her head. "We're friends and whether I like it or not that's all we're ever going to be unless he wishes more. I won't pressure him. Not for me, what I feel isn't worth losing him,"

Ahead Fenris signaled for them to stop, his hand reaching for his greatsword.

Turning to her sister sharply, Erin gave her a semi-menacing look. "Don't say anything, Beth. If you even so much as hint at it, I will make your life more miserable than when you set my hair on fire," she hissed going for her weapon.

Bethany's face paled at the threat.

"Problem?" Erin asked coming forward.

Fenris' penetrating gaze was on her a moment before nodding toward the bend in the tunnel passageway. "Traps ahead, spread across the path,"

Sebastian was cautiously moving forward, studying the area. "I do hate traps," he murmured springing one and then moving onto another. "Bethany, if I may request your assistance, this trap appears to have a double trigger."

"What do I know of traps?" Bethany asked but came to his aid anyway.

Erin watched a blush spread on her sister's cheeks as Sebastian guided her hand to the right spot and instructed her to freeze the mechanism so Sebastian could finish disarming the rest.

Blowing a strand of hair from her eye, Erin shifted, realizing Fenris was staring at her. "What?" A quick cursory glance around insured there were no enemies.

"Varric would object to your generalization of story genres. Even adventures need a little romance," Fenris stated emotionlessly.

Her heart skipped a beat and blood flooded her cheeks. Instantly her mind connected the dots and her eyes darted around the passage. She cursed silently at her carelessness (or Bethany's if she wanted to be accurate.) The smooth stone walls and floors of dwarven creation had nothing to mute sound, with the ceiling being of the same rock the entire cave became an excellent sound conductor.

He heard.

Both of them heard the conversation and just let two girls continue.

"Fenris," excuses and apologizes manufactured themselves in her mind. How could she explain this? How could she repair the damage before he fled? Words died on her lips when she looked at him, lost in the intensity of his green eyes.

The half-smile that rarely graced his lips made her heartbeat quicken. He had only smiled like that seven times in the last two months; it was the look that softened his features inexplicably causing her to become attracted to the elf in the first place.

"I enjoy your visits, Hawke." He admitted in his deep brogue.

This wasn't happening, Erin was sure it couldn't be happening. She had hit her head and this was the Fade playing tricks on her.

"Perhaps on your next visit we can do something other than speak about fighting," he offered. "I am sure you have opinions on a variety of subjects beyond swordplay,"

It took Erin forever to remember how to work her vocal cords. "I," she cleared her throat and started again. "It'd be interesting."

"Indeed,"

Her wit began to take over. "Do you know any subjects that aren't liable to get us into an argument? Mages and Templars are out; perhaps we should start with the weather and go from there,"

A full smile this time; that smile had only happened twice since she had known him. "Very well," he agreed. "How does one talk about weather?"

Erin glanced at the ceiling. "Well normally it's not done underground,"

"So commenting on the firmness of the stone above our head in an ancient dwarven passage is not the correct way to converse about the weather,"

Chuckling, Erin looked back at him. "While amusing, I do not believe it has anything to do with the weather other than keeping it out."

Fenris mused. "Perhaps I need more practice in alternate conversation topics,"

"The way is clear," Sebastian called from the other end of the hall.

Erin nodded at him. "We should," she motioned.

"I remain at your side," he said moving in step beside her.

Silently her mind raced. Maybe, just maybe there was a chance…


End file.
